Put pressure on Pakistan to fight Al-Qaida’s buildup

[Zeeshan S.]

Put pressure on Pakistan to fight Al-Qaida’s buildup

Intelligence officials in Washington say al-Qaida is slowly re-establishing its command-and-control capabilities and building a new network of training camps in Pakistan.

These assessments, reported recently by The New York Times, paint a troubling picture of the terrorist organization’s resurgence in the mountainous tribal areas near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan.

Al-Qaida hasn’t attained the strength and sophistication of its pre-Sept. 11 days, but analysts say the organization is clearly rebuilding.

The Bush administration should pressure Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to do more to deal with the al-Qaida presence in North Waziristan, a rugged province dominated by semi-autonomous tribes.

Two years ago the picture was quite different. Analysts said Osama bin Laden and his top deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, had been largely separated from much of al-Qaida’s rank and file.

But last year Musharraf agreed to a treaty with North Waziristani tribal leaders. Pakistan would pull back its troops if the tribes ended support for cross-border raids into Afghanistan.

This treaty turned out to be a setback in the war on terror. North Waziristan is developing into a thriving center of al-Qaida activity.

Most troubling, authorities have discovered what The Times called “clear linkages” between al-Qaida’s leadership and the individuals behind last summer’s failed plot to blow up airliners departing from London.

As one official put it, al-Qaida’s “chain of command has been re-established.” Analysts say some of the suspects in the London plot were trained in Pakistan.

The Bush administration is understandably wary of pushing Musharraf too hard for fear of undercutting him, given that some elements of Pakistan’s military still support the Taliban.

But perhaps the White House has been too wary, because the current situation is untenable.

Washington should insist that Pakistan do more to deal with the growing terrorist presence taking root in its territory.

http://www.kansascity.com/340/story/59688.html

 

[Adux]

Why is Mushraff allowing Pakistan to be bullied so much by the West

 

[kidwaibhai]

they can say all they want but they cant do anything about it